A 36-year-old woman initially presented to her rheumatologist with active bilateral synovitis in her hands, wrists, and ankles, and nodules on her left elbow. Her laboratory results were as follows:
C-reactive protein (CRP) = 5.7 mg/dL (normal: 0.1–0.9 mg/dL)
Er... Continue Reading

VQ, a 58-year-old African American male presented to his primary care physician (PCP) for routine follow-up. Eighteen months earlier, the patient was diagnosed with essential hypertension as indicated by a blood pressure reading of 155/98 mm Hg. At that time, the PCP prescribed the angiotensin-co... Continue Reading

Raymond, a 65-year-old obese man with a 2-year history of type 2 diabetes, presents to the PA for a scheduled follow-up visit. Raymond is currently taking metformin 500 mg BID and adhering to a healthy diet and exercise re... Continue Reading

Mr. D, a 48-year-old African-American man who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) 4 years ago, presented to his clinician for a routine follow-up visit. On the physical examination, he weighed 210 lbs, with a BMI of 31.0 kg/m2 and blood pressure of 128/78 mmHg. His laborato... Continue Reading

This article takes a break from the traditional Case Study of the Month to consider various aspects of Consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs).
In the current health care system, 86% of costs are paid by 3rd party agencies, such as insurance companies and employers.1 Ad... Continue reading